Therapeutic Group Room & Three 6-Week Suicide Loss Grief Therapy Groups

We are seeking community funding to transform our existing group counselling room into a warm, welcoming, comfortable, and therapeutically supportive space for individuals experiencing grief, loss, and other significant life challenges. As part of this project, we will also establish a free, six-week closed therapy group specifically for adults who have experienced the death of a loved one by suicide.

The Adult Suicide Loss Therapy Group will be offered three times per year, with each group consisting of six weekly sessions. The program will be provided at no cost to participants, reducing financial barriers for community members who may otherwise be unable to access specialized suicide-bereavement support.

The renovated group room will provide an intentional therapeutic environment in which these groups and future grief and mental health programs, can take place. Together, the physical space and programming will create a sustainable community resource that supports connection, healing, and access to specialized grief counselling.

Groups will be offered in person in Calgary, Alberta and are offered to anyone inside and outside the city limits. 

Losing someone to suicide can create a particularly complex, disenfranchised (unrecognized, and painful bereavement experience. Survivors may experience intense grief alongside questions, guilt, anger, stigma, trauma, isolation, and uncertainty about how to understand what happened. The circumstances surrounding suicide loss can also make it difficult for individuals to talk openly about their experience or find others who understand the unique nature of their grief.

Although individual counselling can be valuable, many people benefit from connecting with others who have experienced a similar loss. A carefully facilitated closed therapy group provides an opportunity for participants to feel less alone, develop supportive connections, learn about suicide bereavement, and work through grief in a safe and professionally supported environment.

Cost can also be a significant barrier to counselling. Providing this program free of charge will allow community members to access specialized support regardless of their financial circumstances.

There is also a need for therapeutic spaces that feel different from traditional clinical environments. Grief and healing are deeply human experiences, and the physical environment in which people receive support can contribute to their sense of safety, comfort, dignity, and belonging.